


Jedi: Fallen Order; The Grey Path

by Grey_Jedi_Boi



Category: Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family, Feels, Fluff, Internal Conflict, Love, No Smut, Religious Conflict
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:07:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22444579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grey_Jedi_Boi/pseuds/Grey_Jedi_Boi
Summary: The Mantis crew is looking for a surviving Jedi, and along the way Cal and Merrin question their ideologies and the force as a whole. When they meet the Jedi Cal struggles even more with his place in the galaxy. Fluff in later chapters, I gotta develop the characters before they start smooching.
Relationships: Cal Kestis/Merrin
Comments: 13
Kudos: 56





	1. Stealth

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, sorry for the whole, accidentally deleting this story thing. I know, I hate me too.

Of course I pull guard duty again for the 3rd time in a row." A stormtrooper sighed, leaning against the door leading to the communication station on the Star Destoyer. Ever since the Fortress Inquisitorious got raided 2 months back the whole armada had been sweeping the sector trying to track down several high profile targets, anarchists that tried to assassinate Inquisitiors and Lord Vader, they even succeeded in killing the second and ninth sister.

"Hey Tub. Guard duty again?" Another stormtrooper said walking up to him. Tub sighed, "Yeah Drag, same shift different day." He said. "Anything interesting happen today?" Drag asked. Tub shook his head, "No, nothing really. Rumor has it the Jedi is near the Mustafar system, so we're on the wrong side of the galaxy." He replied. The pair stood, not saying anything, their minds elsewhere. "Hey, credit for your thoughts." Tub said after a long silence. Drag leaned against the door next to him. "Alright, what's up?" He asked.

"You ever wonder what we're doing? I mean, those anarchists killed two Inquisitiors and fought Lord Vader, what the hell are we supposed to do against that? Rumor has it they're Jedi. I mean, the order was only decimated because of order 66, we took the Jedi by surprise, otherwise they would have killed all of us. Why stormtroopers and not Inquisition forces?" He rambled. Drag laughed "I learned to stop asking why we do what we do when Vader just showed up one day. Best to just keep on trucking, get to your bunk, take a nap, go back to work, vacation at the Twi'lek hot springs 4 times a year." He said. 

Tub shook his head, "Just seems like a misuse of our services. Like, Inquisitiors are made to kill Jedi, we're meant to be soldiers. You dont get a farmer to fix the holo net, you know?" He complained. Drag rolled his eyes, "Be careful, you're starting to have a point there. We don't even have purge troopers with us. Maybe it means we arent in the vicinity of the Jedi?" He offered. Tub shrugged, "Hopefully." He added.

"Well" a hidden voice began. The two readied their blasters. "You're not wrong. It was dumb to send only stormtroopers." The voice said. "Show yourself!" Tub yelled. A small grate above them fell open and down fell the Jedi they had been searching for. Cal Kestis. Before the pair could warn any other troopers, or take a shot at the rouge, they had already been disarmed and stabbed by the saber wielder, falling to the ground like a bag of rocks, dead.

________________________________________

"See Cal? I told you it'd be easier going through the vents." The disembodied voice of a certain Nightsister called. Cal sighed, looking up at the ceiling, "Easier than slashing my way through stormtroopers, yes. Easier than just sneaking around and having you cloak me? No. I mean, that was over a mile of vents. Star Destroyers are huge." He said surveying the area. "It was the most direct path. You avoided combat, and, like i told you before, cloaking doesnt work like that." She said. Cal chuckled "Whatever you say Merrin. BD, can you slice this?" He asked, the droid whirred and nodded before starting to hack the door.

"Plus, you use a lightsaber. That's not a very stealthy weapon. Why don't you use a blaster?" She asked. Cal rolled his eyes, "Says the Nightsister that shoots green magick at people." He said. Merrin let out a laugh, "That's fair, But I can do this to be stealthy." She said, referring to her omnipresence. Cal grunted, and leaned down, picking up one of the E-11s that lie on the ground. "You know what? Maybe I'll give it a go." He said, inspecting the blaster.

"Cal, have you two reached the Coms Relay yet?" Cere asked through Cals radio. "Yeah, finally. BD is hacking the door now." He replied. "Good, let me know when the room is secured." She said. Cal nodded, "Will do. I'll let you know." He said, ending their conversation.

BD then signaled to Cal that the door was unlocked. "Thanks bud." He said, the droid hopping back on his shoulder. Cal approached the door, before he could open it himself, the door slid open, and was met with a stormtrooper standing right there, less than a foot away.

"Blast him!" The trooper yelled. Cal raised his new blaster and fired at the troopers head, killing him. As he fell, he saw there were six more stormtroopers in the room. Four troopers, and two scout troopers. Cal took aim at the scout troopers, but when he pulled the trigger nothing happened. "Damn it, jammed." He said to himself. He noticed a trooper across the room had already took aim, thinking quick, Cal threw the E-11 at the trooper, staggering him. He rushed him, dodging bolts as he reached the trooper, and quickly drew his cyan lightsaber, stabbing the trooper in the chest.

The other three troopers had started shooting, Cal used the troopers body he held as a sheild, rushing the other troopers. They kept shooting their fallen comrade, hoping that the bolts would go through the troopers armor, to no avail. Cal threw the dead trooper at the others, causing them to fall on the ground. He quickly used his saber to decapitate the soldiers on the ground.

"Turn around Jedi scum!" He heard from behind him. He slowly turned and saw the scout troopers had their pistols drawn and were standing 2 feet from him. "We should shoot you now. But I think Lord Vader would like to do that himself." The one on his left said. Behind the troopers, a green mist slowly formed, and out stepped Merrin, the scouts not noticing.

"He killed the others! I say we blast him right now." The other one said. Merrin muttering an incantation, her hands glowing green. The trooper on his left laughed, "No, we might actually get promoted for this. No more foot work, maybe even get a leave." He said. "I seriously doubt that." Cal said, nodding behind them. They turned, and saw Merrin pointing her hands at them, green magick at the ready. Before they could react, 2 beams of green light shot out of her palms, piercing their chests. They fell, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

Cal smiled, turning off his lightsaber, holstering it. "Thanks for that." He said. Merrin quickly approached him, throwing her arms around him. Caught off guard, Cal slowly hugged back, "Uh...I'm okay Merrin. I'm okay." He said softly. She pulled away, nodding, "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate. I dont know what came over me." She said softly, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear, attempting to hide her blush.

The pair said nothing for a few seconds, until Cal spoke up. "Can you seal the door? I should contact Cere." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. Merrin nodded, walking toward the door. Cal looked around, there were six consoles around the room, with a large screen on the far wall, showing Naar Shaddaa, Tatooine, Naboo, Kashyyyk, Zeffo, Dathomir, and Ilum. "Cere, Coms room is clear, what do I do?" He asked. "Great Cal, I need you to take the disc I gave you and plug it into the main computer. It will download the data we need on that surviving Jedi." She said.

Cal walked up to the big screen, and plugged the disc into the console, starting the download. A text on the screen appeared that said "Downloading 1%. "Cere, theres a group of planets displayed. Zeffo, Naar Shaddaa, Tatooine, Naboo, Kashyyyk, Dathomir and Ilum. Theres also a Correllion ship here, it looks like a newer model." He said. "Well, they're probably cross referencing planets you've been to to the ones that this other Jedi has been sighted on. We havent been to Naar Shaddaa, Naboo, and Tatooine, so those are good places to look." Cal nodded, "Exactly what I was thinking." He said.

Merrin walked over to Cal, "Dathomir? I guess they found out you've been there somehow." She said. Cal smiled, "Well when I started to go around the galaxy kicking ass with a Nightsister, they might have thought I'd have been in the neighborhood once or twice." He said sarcastically. Merrin playfully punched him in the shoulder, "You mean me kicking ass with you? I've saved you more times than you've saved me. The score was 10 to 7 last time I checked." She said.

That was true. In the 2 months Merrin had been on The Mantis, she had gone out with him on missions and saved him more times than he knew, so for fun, the two made a list to keep track of who was in need of saving more. Merrin wanted to prove she could hold her own and could be out there in the field with Cal.

Merrin smiled, "You know what, today makes 11." She said. Cal laughed, "Looks like I need to catch up." He said. They looked at the screen, the download was at 60%. "Almost there." She said, getting restless. Just then, the pair heard a loud banging coming from the locked door. 

"Hey! Open up in there!" They heard a voice from the other side say. The pair looked at each other, as if to say, 'just like last time.'. Merrin muttered an incantation, that caused her to fade away into omnipresence. Cal looked to his right, seeing the other door leading to the access tunnels, running over and opening it, then taking a step back. Cal looked up, and used the force to open a grate above his head and jump up, closing it behind him. Looking down at the main door.

A green light illuminated the vent and Merrin appeared in front of him, locking eyes with each other. Cal gave her a look, that appeared to say 'Why?' Merrin understood and shrugged, "I wanted to see what you were complaining about." She said. Cal opened his mouth to talk, then looked down, smiling and shaking his head stifling a laugh.

The main door opened and in stepped 4 death troopers, walking inside checking corners and looking for hostiles. "Clear." They all said in unison. Then a Chiss man in a white uniform walked into the room, with his arms behind his back. "Looks like we missed the party." He said, looking around. "Admiral Thrawn, the maintenance door is open, should we pursue?" One death trooper asked.

Thrawn looked outside, seeing the two dead stormtroopers and the steel grate laying on the ground. Then he looked at the screen and saw the words, "Download 85%". He looked down the hall, then up, at the grate, looking almost right at Cal and Merrin. "No." He said. "That won't be necessary." He said, pointing at the vents. All the troopers took aim at the vents, readying their blasters.

"If you come down now, I can guarantee your safety." He said. Cal and Merrin didnt know how to respond. Not only had this Admiral Thrawn seen their download in progress, he knew exactly where they were hiding. 'I should have closed that damn grate.' Cal thought. Merrin grabbed his face, and made him make eye contact with him, she leaned in close to Cal, effectively hugging him. "Trust me." She whispered. Cal nodded. "Hold on." She said, before muttering an incantation and the lair were enveloped by green mist. "Fire!" The Chiss yelled.

Before Cal knew it, the pair were in a completely different part of the ship. They were still in their awkward hug, and when they pulled apart, they saw they were in a supply closet, with mops, buckets, and ladders. Merrin was catching her breath, sitting down, leaning against the wall. Cal stood up, "Why have we never done that before?" He asked. Merrin looked up at him, "I can do that myself all the time, but taking another person takes twice the energy." She said, taking long deep breaths, regaining her composure. Cal frowned, he hated seeing Merrin like this. Weak. He knelt next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Hey." He said. The pair locked eyes.

"That makes 12." He said smiling. Merrin slowly smiled, and giggled, "You have some catching up to do then Cal." She said, slowly standing up, using Cal to steady herself. Once she got to her feet, she let go of him. "You okay?" He asked. Merrin nodded, "Yes, I should be fine now. Contact Greez, we need out of here. Now." She said.

________________________________________

"Fire!" Thrawn shouted. The death troopers opened fire on the grates above them, sparks, and pieces of metal flying everywhere. After a few seconds, their rifles overheated, and they stopped firing. "No hits." One trooper said. Thrawn growled, "Hmm. Commander, put the ship on high alert, have it searched top to bottom, dont stop until the intruders are found. I want them alive." He said, before he turned and walked out of the door he entered.


	2. Evacuation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, heres the re upload of chapter 2. I'm working on 3 now, sorry for the delete.

Admiral Thrawn opened the door to the Star Destroyers bridge, all officers standing at attention. "At ease." He said, all of the officers nodding and sitting back down. He approached the front of the bridge, and stood looking out over Mygeeto, "Report General, any news of the Jedi?" He asked, looking to his left at a tall grey haired man with a long beard, General Vass. "No sir, we've sent probes into the vents, I'm sure we'll find him." He said. 

Thrawn pulled out his data pad, and scrolled until he found the photos of the dead stormtroopers from the coms relay. He showed Vass the photos, "Notice anything? Look at the injuries." He said. Vass studied the images closely, squinting his eyes thinking. "Looks like one was shot and the rest were killed by a lightsaber." He said, in an inquisitive manner. Thrawn shook his head, zooming in of a pair of troopers with holes in their chests.

"These men weren't killed with a lightsaber. Look at the burns, their armor wasnt melted, it was cut, and this green residue doesnt look like a lightsaber attack." He said. General Vass raised an eye brow, scratching his beard, "So what are you suggesting?" He asked. Thrawn smirked, "I think our Jedi isn't alone. I think he may have a friend with him. A friend that practices something far different than simple lightsaber combat. The Jedi had been to Dathomir, correct?" He asked. Vass nodded, "Yes, he returned there quite often." He said.

Thrawn crossed his arms behind his back, looking out into the void of space. "I think we might have a witch on board." He said with a smirk.

_____________________________________

"Cere, the mission is comprised. We've got a problem." Cal said into his radio. "What happened Cal?" She replied. Cal sighed, rubbing his eyes, "We didn't get the data, Merrin had to warp us away." He said. "Can she warp you guys to the hangar?" She asked. Cal looked over to the Nightsister in question, she was sitting in the lotus position with her eyes closed, meditating. "I dont think so, it took a lot out of her, she might not have the strength to do it again." He said. "I see." Cere began

"Can you tell us where you are? Any landmarks?" She asked. Cal slowly walked toward the door, "Gimme a minute." He gently opened the door a few inches and looked out. There were no stormtroopers, but he saw a long hallway on his left that led to a fork in the design, and to his right about 40 feet was the hangar bay. Through the force field he could see the planet Mygeeto. He gently closed the door, turning back to face the wall.

"Okay, good news and bad news, which one do you want first?'' He asked. "I'll take the good news." Cere said. "Good news is we're right next to the hangar bay, on the Mygeeto side of the ship. Bad news is that it's about a 40 foot walk and theres bound to be cameras. You'll have to be ready to pick us up asap." He said. 

"Alright Kid, but we'll need you two to be in the hangar bay when we get there, otherwise we'll get shot down before we can take off." Greez chimed in. "We'd better get moving then, before stormtroopers show up. Start your approach. We'll be there." Cal said. Merrin opened her eyes, and rose to her feet. "Ready?" She asked. Cal nodded, and drew his lightsaber.

Cal slowly opened the door, and stepped out, looking around. "Clear." He said, stepping aside so Merrin could exit the room. After making sure they were clear, they began to run to the hangar. After they ran about 10 feet, a grate above them fell open, making them stop dead in their tracks. Out came a probe droid, than began to scan the pair, sending off a signal. "I got it." Cal said, reaching out with the force, and throwing it against the wall, about 10 feet away, causing it to explode, sending sparks and oil flying toward the ground, it igniting and creating a small fire. Merrin turned to look at Cal, "Fire alarms." She said.

Cals eyes widened, "Run!" He yelled, right after they began to sprint to the hangar, the fire alarm blared, sounding off to the entire ship their position. As they reached the hangar, they saw there were 6 stormtroopers armed with E-11s. "Blast them!" One trooper yelled, as he began to shoot at the pair. Cal ignited his lightsaber blades, reflecting the bolts back at the trooper, killing them. Cal put his saber back on his hip, and turned around to look at Merrin, smiling.

"I believe the score is 12 to 8 now, guess I'm catching up." He said. Merrin looked past him, and shot a blast of magick across the hangar, Cal turning to see what she was doing. A stormtrooper lying on the ground had his gun trained on him, and almost shot. Merrins magick stuck him and he fell limp to the floor. 

"I'm stealing that point, its 13 to 7 now. Good luck catching up." She said with a smirk. Cal sighed, "Thanks for that." He said, his smile fading before turning to look out toward Mygeeto. "Greez, where are you? We're in the hangar." He asked. "Almost there kid, dropping out of hyperspace, now." He said. Just then, The Mantis had come out of lightspeed, and was on it's way to the hangar.

Cal turned to Merrin, "With how many times they show up to save us, maybe they should keep a list too." He said. Merrin let out a soft chuckle, "Perhaps they should." She replied. Before they could celebrate, the door behind them opened with a hiss, and out stepped 8 death troopers. Cal quickly ignited his lightsaber and Merrin held a ball of magick in her hand, ready to throw back anything they shot at them. The troopers took up a firing squad position, all of their blasters trained on the fugitives.

"Sir, we've caught the anarchists. Permission to engage." A trooper in the middle said. "But, Sir, I...yes Admiral." He ended, looking clearly distressed with his body language. As The Mantis entered the hangar, the troopers didnt fire, they didn't try to stop them, they just stood there with their blasters aimed. Waiting.

The ship landed behind them, and slowly the ramp opened, allowing them to enter. The pair slowly backed up, keeping their weapons drawn, ready to fight back. But they never needed to. Once they got inside the ship, Cal turned off his lightsaber and Merrin let the energy in her hand dissipate. "Grab some seat kids! We're getting outa here!" Greez yelled from the cockpit.

Cal and Merrin quickly made their way to the sofa in front of them and sat down, "Go!" Merrin yelled as they hit the cushions. Greez turned the ship, lifted the landing gear, closed the ramp, and existed the Star Destoyer. "Cere, the guns ready?" Greez asked. 

"Yes captain, ready to fire on command." She said, grabbing the trigger mechanism. Cal walked up to the cockpit, putting his hand on the back of Greezs chair, "We might not need to." He said. Greez looked back at him, "Whaddya mean Kid? They'll scramble fighters any second now, ah, I gotta make the jump to hyperspace. Be ready Cere." He commanded. Cere nodded.

But she never needed to shoot. The Mantis wasnt fired upon, they weren't pursued by tie fighters, nothing happened. "Going light speed!" Greez yelled, pushing the switch forward, and they entered lightspeed, leaving the Mygeeto system, returning to Bogano.

Greez let out a sigh, "Alright kid, so what was that about not needing to shoot back?" Greez asked, in disbelief of Cals statement. "They let us go. Without a fight." Merrin said approaching the cockpit. Cal nodded, "She's right. They had us, five to one, with death troopers, and they didn't fire. They let us leave." He said. 

"Well, could they be tracking us through hyperspace?" Merrin asked. Greez shook his head, "No, that's impossible. Once you enter lightspeed, you're moving too fast to be tracked." He said dismissively.

(Take that Ruin Johnson)

Cere spoke up, "I'm more worried about the mission. Did you get the Intel we needed?" She asked. Cal sighed, and shook his head. "No, an Admiral Thrawn stopped us from getting the disc out of the system before it was finished." He replied. 

Cere sighed, sitting back in her chair. "It's okay, there will be other opportunities." Cal said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Cere put her hand over his, "That's not what I'm worried about Cal. I want to find that other jedi." She said somberly. "Theres so few of us left...I just want to know who survived.". Cal nodded, "We'll find him Cere, I promise." He said reassuringly.

"Well, this is all very touching and all, but I'm hungry, who wants some grub? We've got a few of those bantha loins left, roast sound good?" Greez asked, getting up from his chair walking toward the kitchen. Merrin rolled her eyes, "Of course Roast will do Greez." She said, turning to watch at he walked toward the kitchen. "Cal, what kind of ship was that in the Coms room?" Merrin asked. Cal walked into the living room, sitting down on the couch by the table, relaxing. Merrin and Cere sitting on opposite sides of him.

"Well, it looked Correllion. My guess would be a YT-2400. You thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked. Merrin nodded, "This other Jedi we're searching for, that might be his ship. So now we have planets hes been to, and a ship to look out for. The mission wasn't a complete bust." She said. Cal nodded, "Exactly what I was thinking." Cal said with a smile. Cere nodded, "I agree. Let's go to Bogano to lay low for a few days, then head to Naar Shaadda." She said. The pair nodded, "Sounds good." Cal said rubbing his eyes. "But first, I'm gonna go take a nap." He said, standing up, heading to his room.

He walked past Greez, "Hey hey hey, wait up Kid, you're gonna eat, right?" He asked. Cal nodded, letting out a yawn, "Yeah, I just wanna go turn off my brain for a little bit." He replied, stretching his arms over his head. Greez frowned, "We'll foods ready, fill your gut before you go to bed." He said, opening the oven, retrieving the bantha loin. Cal sighed, "Well, I guess food sounds pretty good." He said, walking over to the table.

_____________________________________

General Vass watched as The Mantis approached the Star Destoyer. "D T squad one, get to hangar bay 5 immediately. Mantis approaching." He said. He turned to Admiral Thrawn, "We've got them now Sir." He said with a smirk. Thrawn had his fist below his chin, thinking, concentrating on the approaching ship, not turning to look at General Vass.

"General, are you a betting man?" He asked. General Vass shook his head, "No Sir, why?" He asked. Thrawn smiled, "I have an idea." He said with a smirk. "Sir, we've caught the anarchists, permission to engage." A death trooper said through the Coms. "No commander, just watch them. Only return fire if necessary." He said. "But Sir, I-" Thrawn cut him off, "That's an order commander. Let them go." He said calmly. "Yes Admiral." He said, ending the call.

General Vass looked at Thrawn, mouth agape. "Admiral, what are you doing? We can take them now!" He said. Thrawn nodded, "Yes General, we could take them now. But that would mean theres still another Jedi out there hoping from system to system, in a ship we cant track." He said, sighing looking out the window as they watched The Mantis leave the hangar.

"Why kill the buck, when he'll eventually lead you to the doe and fawns?" He asked. "They know the planets he's been to. They know the ship this Jedi has. If we wait, and they weed out that other Jedi, we can take all of them, at once. The three Jedi, the witch, and the scoundrel. All at once." He said with a smile. General Vass thought about it, scratching his beard, eventually he nodded.

"If you believe that is the best option Admiral." He said, holding his hands behind his back. "General, I believe we should not inform Lord Vader or the inquisition of this." He said. Vass shook his head, "You want me to lie to Lord Vader and the emperor?" He asked. Thrawn shrugged, "Not to lie, but to simply not disclose the plan. Should they take control of this, I fear we might not have the...opportunity to let our plan unfold." He said. Just then The Mantis jumped to Hyperspace, leaving the system.

"Do I make myself clear?" Thrawn asked, looking over his shoulder at Vass. He nodded, "Crystal Sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, chapter 3 will be out in a few days, pace will be slower and focus on the characters. Leave any and all comments below, I'd love to hear from you guys. I love to get feedback.


	3. Bogano

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, 3 is done, I'll work on 4 soon.

Travel to Bogano would take a few hours, and after lunch The Mantis crew were all trying to pass time. Cal was taking a nap, Cere was playing her guitar, Greez was tending to the planetarium, and Merrin was meditating in her room. The nightsister was in deep thought, trying to come to terms with what had happened. 'I was weakened.' She thought, referring to what happened in the vents aboard the Star Destoyer. 'Had I needed to do it again...it wouldn't have worked. We'd be dead.' She thought. Had she needed to warp herself and Cal further from within the ship, she wouldn't be able to do it. They'd have been caught, or worse.

"I need to get stronger." She said quietly to herself. "Mother...sisters...show me how I can become stronger." She said, attempting to commune with her fallen tribe. "Mother...show me." She continued. She found herself standing on Dathomir, looking over the carnage of the war that was brought to her home, seeing dead Nightsisters, droids, and more. "Sister Merrin..." she heard a voice call out. She turned around and saw Mother Talzin materialize, and float down. "It is wonderful to see you again." She said, reaching out to hug her. Merrin wrapped her arms around her mother, "Sister...it has been too long." Talzin said pulling away. "Why did you call me?" She asked.

"I need to know how to keep those I love safe. I need to get stronger." She said. Mother Talzin smiled, "Do you mean that strapping young Jedi and his companions?" She asked, scratching her chin. Merrin nodded, "My companions. They...HE saved me Mother. He saved me from myself, and saved our secrets from a thief. You would like him." She said smiling. Mother Talzin put her hands on her shoulders, "I already do from what I have seen. What do you need help with?" She asked.

"I had tried to warp him and myself in an instant, and it weakened me, I needed to compose myself for a time to build my strength. How do I become stronger in this? How do I become as strong as you were?" She asked. "You must trust in yourself and those you love, and meditate. Your inner strength is built upon your self image. If you love and are loved in return, it shall improve your ties to our magick. Should you find your destiny, it will become even greater. What you seek, I sadly can no longer give, but there are others close to you who can." She said. 

Merrin nodded, "Thank you mother. For everything." She said. Mother Talzin nodding in return, "Should you need my counsel again, come back to me." She said, before turning back into green mist, becoming one with the wind before Merrins eyes.

She found herself back in her room on The Mantis, on her bed. She frowned, laying down on her bed, looking at the ceiling. Merrin started to feel tears welling up in her eyes. She had just realized, she was the last Nightsister. She knew that of course, but it had just hit her full force. She is the last daughter of Dathomir. She heard a knock on her door, sitting up she started to compose herself, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Come in." She said straightening her hair. The door opened, and Cal stepped inside. "Hey." He said with a smile. "Hey yourself." She said returning the gesture. "We're dropping out of hyperspace, Cere wanted me to grab you." He said. Merrin nodded, standing up and followed Cal to the cockpit.

"Alright, we're back home." Greez said as they dropped out of hyperspace, Bogano before them. The ship landed at the usual spot, and Greez dropped the ramp. Cere pointed to the table, "We need to discuss some things before we go any further." She said. Everybody nodded and sat around the table. 

"Our supplies are low, I think Greez and I should head to another system to get what we need why you two stay here." She said. "Wait, why do they get a resort vacation while we go out grocery shopping?" Greez asked. Cere rolled her eyes, "Because they're hot targets right now and the empire is looking for them. You and I arent as high profile, it only makes sense." She said.

Greez sighed, "Alright then, the kids get a three day weekend. Get your crap and get to the house." He said, walking over to the kitchen, "I'm gonna take inventory." He said, opening the pantry. Merrin stood up, approaching Greez, "Greez, we need more steaks." She said.

Cere and Cal were left alone at the table. She looked at Cal, "Will you be alright alone with her for a day or two?" She asked. Cal nodded, "Definitely. We'll take care of the place." He said. Cere nodded, "anything happens, and I mean ANYTHING, you call us and we'll be there." She said sternly. Cal nodded, holding up his hands in surrender, "Yes ma'am." He said, before standing up, BD-1 jumping on his shoulder, and he walked out of The Mantis stepping onto the sunny afternoon of Bogano, Merrin following behind. 

The pair waved to Greez and Cere as they took off, flying away from Bogano.  
They watched for a few minutes as the ship got smaller and smaller until it eventually disappeared, shooting off to hyperspace. "Where to?" Merrin asked. Cal gestured towards Ino Cordovas old place, and they began their walk.

As they entered the shelter, Cal and Merrin layed their bags on the floor by the entrance, and walked back outside. "So, how do you want to spend your vacation?" Cal asked turning to Merrin. She thought about it, but couldnt come up with an answer. She had been off of Dathomir for 2 months, but couldn't decide what she wanted to do with her spare time. All she had done since leaving home was help Cal while he was wounded, learned a little bit about flying and cooking from Greez, and fight the empire. That was it. "I...I don't know." She said, almost ashamed. Cal realized what she was thinking. This was the first time they were alone when they werent on a mission, and Merrin hadn't gotten time to think about what she wanted.

"C'mon, right now, what do you want to do? We have nobody to fight, nobody to tell us no, and we're safe on a beautiful planet." He said, holding out his arms, refering to her surroundings. He was right. Bogano was one of the most beautiful places she had seen, lush green vegetation, strange wild life, cold nights, warm mornings, it was a shame she hadn't seen much of it. Merrins head perked up, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. "I'd like to see more of Bogano. Do you think we could go on a walk?" She asked. Cal nodded, "Sounds like a plan." He said smiling.

The pair had walked all throughout the small island they called home throughout the day, Cal showed Merrin the strange skeleton in the side of the wall, the Zeffo engravings, the Oggdo Bogdo, and at the end of the day, they found themselves at the Zeffo Temple.

"So this is where the Holocron was kept?" Merrin asked as they walked inside. Cal nodded, "Yep, it was hidden through here." He said, gesturing to the small hole leading to the inner sanctum. They crawled through and emerged in the temple vault. Merrin looked around, studying the architecture, "These Zeffo, what happened to them?" She asked, running her hands along the walls, inspecting the craftsmanship. 

"They were blinded with pride. They thought they could control everything, and they almost went extinct. The elder led the rest of them off to the outer rim. Nobody really knows what happened after that." He said. Merrin stopped moving, facing the wall still. "Is this what will happen to us?" She asked. Cals ears perked up, "What do you mean?" He asked. Merrin turned around, leaning against the wall. "The Nightsisters and the Jedi. Will we only be remembered by inscriptions on walls and caves? Is this how all great clans end?" She asked, tears welling in her eyes. She slowly slid down the side of the wall, into a sitting position, hugging her legs close to her chest.

Cal had never seen Merrin like this before. She never really opened up about the way she felt, he only ever saw her act like this once on Dathomir, but she wasnt this upset about it. He walked over to her and sat down next to her. "I dont think so. We'll bounce back. Both of us." He said, reassuring her. She shook her head, tears starting to roll down her chin.

"Maybe you will Cal. But like I said back on Dathomir. Nothing will ever bring my people back. The Nightsisters and Nightbrothers are all but extinct. I'm the last of my mind." She said, letting her sadness take over, she began to sob lightly. Cal didnt know what to do, he had never seen anybody like this and growing up he never had a chance to have friends other than his master, the clones, and Prauff, but they were always strong and never emotional. He did the only thing he could do, he reached out and hugged her, expecting to get pushed away.

But she didn't, she quickly wrapped her arms around him, and began to sob into his shoulder. Cal rubbed his hand over her back, his other on the back of her head. Cal started to think. She was right. The Jedi could always return, it doesnt matter if they are all killed, they can return, but her people can't. Merrin will be the last Nightsister of Dathomir. He couldn't even comprehend that level of loneliness and despair. That was the first word he thought of when he heard her cries; despair. 

After a few minutes she slowly quieted down and stopped crying. She pulled her head back, wiping her eyes of her tears. She looked at Cal, and pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry." She said, looking away. "I don't know what came over me." She said softly. Cal grabbed her by the cheek, making her lock eyes with him. "Merrin" he began "Never apologize for opening up. Not to me. I'm here for you." He said. Merrin formed a weak smile, and hugged him again. "Thank you Cal Kestis. For all you have given." She said. Cal nodded against her shoulder. They separated, "it's getting late, should we head back soon?" She asked. Cal shook his head. "No, not yet. Theres one more thing I want you to see." He said.

Merrin stood up, brushing herself off and held out a hand for Cal, he took it and she pulled him up. "Where to then?" She asked. "C'mon." He said, not letting go of her hand, leading her back through the entrance. The pair stood in front of the temple, the sun starting to set. "Where are we going?" She asked. Cal pointed up, "Up there." He said. Merrin looked where he was pointing, to the top of the temple. "We gotta climb though." He said, putting his hands on his hips. Merrin rolled her eyes, and wrapped her arms around Cal, his eyes widened, and he hugged her back. They were surrounded in a green mist and they appeared on top of the temple.

They fell into a sitting position, Merrin taking deep breaths, with her eyes closed. "Are you okay?" Cal asked. Merrin nodded, composing herself. She let out a deep sigh, and opened her eyes. "It's getting easier." She said. Cal smiled, "That's good." He said awkwardly. Merrin saw why Cal wanted to come up here, it was the sunset. The sun was about to set, moving slowly over the horizon. From the top of the temple, they could see for miles, the sun was reflecting off of the water beautifully, orange mixing with the blues of the ocean. 

"It's beautiful." Merrin said. Cal turned and saw she was smiling. That made him happy, "Yeah, it is. I like to come up here and meditate. It's really peaceful." He said. BD-1 hopped off of Cals shoulder and walked onto Merrins lap, sitting down, whirring at her. Merrin smiled, petting his head, "I wish I understood what you were saying." She said. BD whirred and lied down on her lap, looking out toward the sunset. "I can teach you." Cal said. "Its pretty simple honestly." Merrin looked at the Jedi, "It doesn't seem simple, but I'd love to try." She said, looking back down at the droid in her lap.

They watched the sunset for about half an hour until it finally fell behind the horizon line, darkness begining to envelop the plains of Bogano. Merrin looked over to Cal, "ready to head back?" She asked. Cal nodded, "Yeah, I'm tired and hungry." He said, slowly standing up. BD-1 got off Merrins lap as she stood up, and jumped onto her shoulder. Merrin looked at the droid, then at Cal. "I think he likes me." She said with a smile. Cal nodded with a chuckle, "Yeah, he does." He confirmed. Merrin approached Cal, and wrapped her arms around him, "Ready?" She asked. Cal nodded, "Ready." He said, and Merrin warped them back to the bottom of the temple again. She didn't fall over this time, instead she slowly sat herself down on the ground, and began to breath.

Her composure returned, and she stood up, "I could have climbed down." Cal said, not liking seeing Merrin this way. Merri shook her head, "No, I need to get stronger. The problem is that you arent a Nightsister or Nightbrother, transporting others is hard for us." She said. Cal put his hands on his hips, "Oh, so I'm not good enough for your people?" He asked sarcastically. Merrin giggled, and lightly slapped him in the shoulder, "You know what I mean Cal, let's go eat." She said, Cal nodding in response.

They all walked back to their lodgings, turning on the lights as they entered. "I'll cook if you want, you can go rest." Cal said. "That's not necessary Cal, Greez taught me how to cook." She said. That was true, Greez took Merrin under his wing, teaching her how to pilot The Mantis somewhat and teaching her to cook, but Cal shook his head. "Exactly, you always cook. Let me cook for you for once." He said. Merrin thought about it for a minute, "I guess not having to cook for once sounds nice, okay Cal Kestis, have at it." She said, walking over to the couch, sitting down, BD-1 jumping onto the arm of the couch by her side. Cal walked into the kitchen, opening up the cupboards, and pulling out some ingredients. "Alright, let's see if those lessons from Greez paid off." He said, turning on the stove.

The pair ate dinner, reminiscing on their day, talking about the planet and its beauty, BD-1 showing what he had scanned that day. "You know Cal." Merrin began, "you might be as good a cook as Greez, if not better." She said, getting back up for seconds. Cal smiled, "Well I'll take the compliment, considering." He said. Merrin sat back down with a full plate, "Considering what?" She asked, taking another bite. "Considering I think you're better at it than Greez." He said, sitting back in his chair. Merrin smiled, finishing her bite of food, "I'm glad you think that." She said.

After dinner, Merrin and Cal did the dishes, and Cal let out a yawn. "Tired?" She asked. Cal nodded, "Yeah, think I'm gonna hit the hay." He said walking toward the couch. "Wait." She said. Cal turned around, and saw her arms were crossed. "What?" He asked. Merrin shook her head, "The bed is over there." She said, pointing toward the bedroom. Cal shook his head, "No, you take it, I've got the couch." he said embarrassed. "Cal, we can share, I'm comfortable with it, as long as you are." She said. Cal was stunned. 'Share a bed with Merrin...' he thought to himself, his cheeks getting red at the thought, he shook his head. "No, it's okay, you can have it." He repeated, lying down on the couch.

Merrin shrugged and yawned, "Should you change your mind, theres plenty of space." She said. BD-1 looked at Cal, then at Merrin, then back at Cal. He whirred, and ran over to the bed, jumping on and lying next to Merrin. Cal snorted, 'Traitor.' Cal thought to himself with a smirk.

After a few minutes, he could tell Merrin had fallen asleep. Her chest lifted and sank with every breath, in a slow steady rhythm. Cal was cold. The poncho he was using as a blanket wasnt helping the cold Bogano air, even in the house it was freezing. He looked at Merrin, under the blanket sleeping peacefully. He wanted to feel warm and safe, and there was only one option. He slowly got off of the couch, leaving behind his poncho that made him look like a vagabond , and made his way over to the bed. He stood at the foot of the bed, Merrin was laying on the left side, closest to the wall, BD-1 laying a foot from her chest, in rest mode, there was enough room for him to get under the covers and not wake the pair. Cal carefully peeled back the comforter and lied down on the bed, trying desperately not to wake Merrin or BD-1, to avoid having to share an awkward moment.

Once Cal got comfortable he pulled the covers over himself, and lied down looking up at the ceiling. He felt his skin begin to heat back up, the blanket insulating him far better than his poncho ever did. He rolled over onto his side, looking at Merrin. Her eyes were closed, her mouth ever so slightly agape, sleeping peacefully. BD-1 picked his head up, and looked at Cal, whirring inquisitively. Cal held his index finger up to his lips, silently telling the droid to be quiet. BD nodded, and went back into sleep mode. Cal studied Merrins face, he never realized how beautiful she was. Her face, unlike his, was free of scars, blemishes, or freckles. Instead, she had tattoos that ran across her face and down her neck. He began to wonder how far they went.

Cal shook his head, banishing the thoughts from his mind. He was still cold. He was warmer than when he was on the couch, but nowhere near as warm as he had hoped. Absentmindedly, he began to scoot closer to Merrin, until he was inches from her, and he began to feel warmth embrace him. That comforted him. As his skin began to heat up, he felt more comfortable than he had felt in years, ever since the days of the Jedi Order. He felt safe, like nothing could ruin this moment. Slowly, his eyes started to droop, and he joined Merrin in a deep slumber.

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Merrin awoke early the next morning, sun bleeding into the room from the window. She yawned, and began to move her hand up to her face to rub her eyes, but stopped herself when she heard a grumble from behind her. She slowly turned her head and smiled. Cal had joined her in the bed and was peacefully asleep. He rolled onto her other side, and inspected his face. She had never realized how handsome he was, his scars, instead of being imperfections, added to his charm. She wondered the stories behind every one of them, how he gained them. His red hair messy, and stubble starting to form on his chin. His lips were pursed, slightly agape, almost looking like he was asking for a kiss.

She blushed at the thought, embarrassed, and slowly got out from under the covers, and sat up on the bed, hanging her legs over the side. She heard a whir from behind her, and turned around to see BD-1 had walked up to her, looking up at her beeping. She patted his head, "Good morning to you too." She said, pretending to understanding what he was saying. He whirred in response, rubbing his head on her side like a dog. Merrin stood up, and walked toward the kitchen, BD following close behind.

Cal woke up, feeling better rested than he had since before the purge. He noticed Merrin wasnt laying next to him, and neither was BD-1. That's when he smelled it. The aroma of breakfast wafting in from the kitchen. He slowly stood up, stretching, feeling his joints pop and crack. He walked into the kitchen, and saw Merrin making two plates of eggs and puffer pig bacon. BD-1 was standing on the counter next to her, and whirred when he saw his master enter the room, jumping off the counter and approaching him. Merrin turned and saw Cal, greeting him with a smile. "Good morning Cal, sleep well?" She asked, approaching him and handing him his plate.

Cal nodded, "Better than I have in a long time, thanks." He said, grabbing the plate and walking with her toward the table. They sat and ate breakfast, not speaking much, yesterday's events on their minds. After they finished eating, Merrin cleared her throat. "Cal, about what happened at the temple yesterday, I'm sorry." She said softly. Cal shook his head, "Merrin, I told you, you don't have to apologize. You can talk to me, I'm here for you." He said, holding out his hand. Merrin took it, and squeezed. "I still feel it was...inappropriate to fall apart like that. I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable." She said. "I wasn't uncomfortable at all. That's what family does. We help each other, weather that's a person to watch your back or a shoulder to lean on." He said.

Merrin smiled, bringing her other hand to Cals, "I would like to be there for you too. Should you ever need to talk about Bracca, or your master, I want you to come to me as well." She said. Cal nodded, "I would like that." He said with a smile. BD-1 then jumped on top of the table, in between them, forcing them to pull their hands away. "What is it bud?" Cal asked. BD simply looked at the table and saw Greez and Cere, standing in hologram form, Ceres arm was in a sling and she had a black eye. "Hey kids, we got uh...bad news." Greez said, holding up a bounty puck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand cliffhanger. 4 will come down the pipeline soon, I know the pace is slow this chapter and it's a little cliche with other Cal/Merrin fics, but I wanted to get some fluff out to tide everybody over until the story gets there more naturally. Next few chapters will be better and have a faster pace.


	4. Update

Alright, this isnt a chapter, just a short update. I know I havent posted in a minute, but I'm working on the next chapter. I havent abandoned the story, far from it, this next chapter is just a bitch. It'll be out in a few days, I've just had a lot of problems with the writing and structure, but JUST for this chapter, the rest will be easier for me to get out, I'll try not to have another multi week wait for yall. Stay tuned, I'm not dead or anything, just rusty and procrastinating. Give me a few more days, you'll get the next installment. I'm alive and working, don't worry, I'm not gonna abandon this story unless everybody reading does.


	5. Confrontation

Alright, first things first, I know, it's been a minute. This chapter was so hard for me to write. I went through draft after draft and couldnt get it to where I wanted it to go. I eventually said fuck it, kept going, and rushed it. Not too proud, but I needed this chapter out of the way. The rest will be easier for me to write and hopefully better. Don't lose interest now, its gonna get better. I apologize for the wait, but I'll try to keep writing more and faster, to get the story somewhere actually interesting. Okay, I'll stop rambling, heres the story.

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"Hey Kids, we've uh...got bad news." Greez said holding up a bounty puck. Cal was speechless. He recognized the device Greez was holding, and didn't like it. "What is it?" Merrin asked. "A bounty puck." Cal replied, not looking at her. "Was there a fob?" He asked Greez. He shook his head, "No, just two hunters, one puck. We'll be landing shortly, we'll talk about it more when we get there." He said. Cal nodded, "Okay, we'll meet you on the ship." He said, standing up, BD-1 killing the transmission.

"What's a bounty puck?" Merrin asked. Cal sighed, pacing back and forth. "The Bounty Hunters Guild uses them to show targets. The guild then hunts them down, and brings them in for a reward. The Empire places bounties and they take the jobs." He said, not stopping. "That certainly sounds bad." Merrin said, taking in all of the information at once. When Cal walked by her, she grabbed him by the wrist, the pair locking eyes, "Cal, please sit down. This is only making the situation more stressful." She said. 

Cal snorted, and sat down across from Merrin, laying his head in his hands. "Its not just the empire." He said under his breath. "What?" Merrin asked, not hearing him. He looked up, "I didn't think this through. I forgot about bounty hunters. I forgot that it's not just the empire we're fighting. Its the galaxy." He said. Merrin sat there, thinking of what to say. She hadn't seen much of the galaxy outside of The Mantis, only getting glimpses of other planets, only recently Cal taking her out with him on missions, and even then, she didn't see  
much outside of imperial bases and cantinas. She didn't know anything of bounty hunters, and the trouble they brought, and let out a sigh.

"The galaxy can be a scary place sometimes. I know that Dathomir isn't the most...hospitable planet, but through all the Nydaks and Spiders, it made sense. Stay away from the monsters, and you don't need to worry. But out here, in this new world, it's more...complicated, and that makes it all the more scary." She said nonchalantly. Cal raised an eyebrow, "I didn't know you thought it was that intimidating." He said. Merrin shrugged, "Just because it's scary doesnt mean that I'm scared. If you think a book is scary, it doesnt mean you're afraid of it." She said. 

"How do you not get scared of it all?" He asked her. She looked him in the eye, "Because, Cal Kestis, unlike on Dathomir, I'm not alone in this world anymore...and neither are you. I meant what I said yesterday. We will get ourselves through this, together." She said. Cal let out a sigh, "You're right." He said. Before he could continue, BD-1 beeped at the pair, and gestured toward the door. "He says they're here." Cal said, standing up, putting his tan and black poncho back on and walking toward the entrance, Merrin and BD-1 following behind. 

They saw The Mantis touch down in the same spot it always did, and the ramp come down, inviting them aboard. They quickly rushed up the ramp and into the ship, seeing Greez and Cere sitting at the dining room table. Cal run to Ceres side, and hugged her. "Are you okay? What happened? Who attacked you?" He asked at a Tie Fighter like speed. She hugged back, wincing in pain, "Cal, I'm okay, it's not that bad." She said, standing up. Merrin approached her too, "Seriously, what happened?" She asked the ex jedi master.

"Well." Cere began. "I was in the market buying food and medical supplies, and a bounty hunter walked up to me, and tried to choke me out. I kicked the piss out of him, and his friend that I didnt see got a lucky shot in." She pulled the sleeve of her jacket aside to show the blaster injury. "Luckily, I blasted him, and took his bounty puck and credits." She said, holding up a bag filled with money. 

"So we're in the clear?" Merrin asked. Greez shook his head, "Far from it kid, theres never just one bounty hunter after a target, the guild has a bounty on their head, and they send anybody who will take the job after them. But that's not the worst of it." He said, putting the bounty puck on the table, and turning it on. The holo image showed Cere, then Greez pushed a button and He was there, then Cal, Then BD-1, then Merrin.

"They're after all of us." He said, turning the puck off. The whole ship fell silent, nobody having anything to say. Cal sat down on a couch, holding his head in his hands, BD-1 sitting next to him, looking up at him, Greez kept looking at the puck, Cere rubbed her injury, and Merrin stood there. Not sure of what to do or say. "So what do we do?" She asked.

"The same thing we've been doing." Cere said standing up, "Find that ship, then find the Jedi." She said, walking toward the cockpit. Before she could reach it, she felt Cal grab her by the forearm, stopping her. "Cere, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" He asked. She nodded, "Sure Cal." She replied, following him outside. "What do you think that's about?" Merrin asked. "Jedi business, same as usual." Greez replied, pouring himself a cup of blue milk.

Outside the ship, Cal stood in front of Cere, but she refused to make eye contact with him. "Cere, tell me, what's the plan?" He asked. Cere shrugged, "We find that rouge Jedi, and ask him to join us." She said dismissively. Cal shook his head. "No no, I mean, after that. What's our endgame here? We already agreed we can't rebuild the order, I cant go back to Bracca, we can't go to a civilized system because of this target on our backs. So, what's the plan?" He asked. Again. Cere didn't respond, only looking down at the ground, trying not to make eye contact.

"Trilla..." she said under her breath. "What?" Cal asked. She sighed and looked up at him, "Avenge us. Those were Trillas last words. That's what she asked of us, to avenge the Jedi Order. And that's what we're gonna do." She said sternly. Cal sighed, "You wanna go after Vader." He said. Cere nodded, "with another Jedi, we could take him. You, me, Merrin, him, we could kill Darth Vader." She said.

Cal shook his head, "last I checked he impaled me, threw you like a ragdoll, and almost killed us. Cere, tell me you've thought this through." He said. She looked down, scratching the back of her neck, "I've thought this through." She said softly. Cal sighed, "I don't want to do anything to put this crew in unnecessary danger. Revenge isn't the Jedi way. I know you feel some guilt for what happened, but you-" Cere cut him off. "You sure can talk Cal." She said, frowning. 

He was taken aback, she had never snapped at him like that. "What do you-" she cut him off again. "Dont think I haven't seen how you've been acting around Merrin." She spat. He crossed his arms, "That's not the point, the point is-" "The POINT, Cal Kestis, is that you can't say shit about the Jedi Code." She said, poking him in the chest. "You brought her into this group, and you spend all your time with her, taking her out on missions with you, exploring, cooking, taking walks, YOU, Cal Kestis, can't tell me how wanting revenge is against the Jedi Way. That's horseshit, and you know it!" She shouted, walking back into The Mantis.

Cal stood there stunned, he opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He looked down at the ground, and felt guilt flow through him. Not guilt over Master Tapal, Trilla, Prauf, for once. It was guilt because he realized she was right. He clenched his fist, his feelings for Merrin were wrong in the eyes of the Jedi, but he couldn't bring himself to deny them. He loved her, and as much as he wanted to pretend he didn't, and move past it, he couldn't. 

"There is no emotion, there is peace." He said to himself, closing his eyes. "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace." He repeated to himself, trying to enforce the jedi training. But, no matter how many times he said it, he knew it didn't matter. Merrin meant too much to him, and he couldn't deny the feelings he held for her. He needed to feel emotion. It was only human after all, and why deny himself humanity? He tried to tell himself that, but he still felt conflicted. He couldn't understand why, he just didn't know how to explain what he was feeling.

He let out a deep sigh, and walked toward The Mantis, walking up the ramp, he saw Greez sitting in the pilot's seat, Merrin sitting next to him, the pair looking over the sensors and screens as they lifted off toward space. Cere was sitting in her normal seat, researching Naar Shadda. Cal walked up to the cockpit, standing behind Greez, "So, where to?" He asked. Greez pointed back to Cere, "The wise Cere Judani wants to head into the heart of Naar Shadda, to the bounty guild tavern to find the Jedi." He said, shaking his head.

"Cere, that's the plan?" He asked in disbelief. She nodded, not looking toward him, "It's the best play. I've received word that his ship was seen there today, guess he stopped for a drink." She said, not granting him eye contact. Cal nodded, knowing she wouldn't listen. "Okay." He said. Greez looked back at him, "Okay? She asks you to run heads first into the damn wolves den and you say okay?" He asked.

"She's right. It's the best play." He said, turning around, walking toward his room. Greez shrugged, "You Jedi are crazy." He said, setting course for Naar Shadda, entering hyperspace. Just before Cal could cross the threshold of his room, he felt a hand grab his shoulder. He turned around, expecting to see Cere, but was surprised to see Merrin standing there. He let out a faint smile, which she returned. She didn't need to say anything, Cal knew what was on her mind. She followed him into his room, shutting the door behind them.

Cal sat on his bed, Merrin sitting next to him. "What was that about?" She asked. "What do you mean?" He replied. Merrin rolled her eyes, "I can hear Cal, the um...shounting from Cere. What was it about? I can tell its bothering you." She said. Cal sighed, "We had a difference of opinion." He said dismissively. She shook her head, "No Cal, don't shut me out. What's wrong, seriously?" She asked. He stayed silent for a few seconds, thinking over his words carefully. 'Don't let her find out. Keep your feelings to yourself.' He thought. "She...doesn't approve of my perspective on the force. We are taught from a young age that there is no emotion, there is only peace, that there is no love, there is only the force. But lately-" Cal looked up at her, "I don't think I can follow that. I dont think I can just shut myself out from what I feel...and who I feel those things for." He said. 

Slowly, their hands grew closer throughout his monologue, until the pair held each others hands. "Cal...if the Jedi teachings tell you that positive emotions and love are wrong, then it denies you humanity. You were denied those feelings for so long, I'd say that now, since we all agree we cant rebuild the order, you should...let yourself have something good." She said, their faces moving closer to each other. "Merrin...I feel-" he was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Hey! We're here!" Greez yelled from the other side, the pair split apart and removing their hands from each others grasp. They began to blush, and try to look away from each other, not wanting to show the other how embarrassed they felt.

Cal smirked, "Let's uh...continue this later." He said. Merrin nodded, "Yeah...lets." she said, before standing up and leaving the room, Cal following close behind. They saw Cere and Greez were standing at the kitchen table, Cere walking with them to the ramp. "Alright Cal, the bar is right outside. Get in, reach out with the force and search your feelings, find him, get out. Merrin, watch his back." She said, as they walked down the ramp, turning back to look up at her. 

Cal nodded, "Alright. Be back soon." He said plainly. Merrin nodded, phasing away into green mist. Cere watched as she disappeared, and shook her head. "That still creeps me out." She said with a sigh. Cal shrugged, "You get used to it." He said, turning and walking down the ramp toward the cantina.

_________________________

It was dark in the cantina, the only light coming from the poles where Twi'leks were dancing, bounty hunters gawking and throwing money in their direction. Cal kept his head down, looking around the cantina, trying to focus his energy. He looked around, there was a Trandoshan with a Mandalorian at the bar, they were talking about something involving a smuggler, a Zabrak in the corner playing Pazzak with an Ithorian, Cal sat at the bar, away from everybody else. The bar tender approached him, a Rodian. 

"What'll it be?" He asked. "Spotchka." Cal said, dropping a few credits on the table. The Rodian nodded, and handed Cal a glass of the blue glowing liquid. He drank the entire glass in one sip, putting it back on the bar, tapping the bar next to his drink, the Rodian refilled his glass. "So what brings a known criminal to my bar?" He asked. Cals heart stopped, and he faced the Rodian. He finished pouring his drink, "Relax, I'd rather not have a brawl in here. This happens more often than you'd think, I serve these brutes but don't have a place in the guild." He said. 

Cal let out a sigh of relief, sipping from his glass. "I'm looking for a bounty hunter. Drives a Corellian YT-2400, any idea?" He asks. The bartender shook his head, "Nope, dont know ships, only faces. Any idea what he looks like?" He asked. Cal shook his head. The Rodian looked over Cals shoulder, toward a screen, cal turned to see what he was looking at and saw his face displayed on the bounty list, the Trandoshan and Mandalorian looking at the screen then back at Cal. He stood up and began to walk past them, toward the entrance.

"Cere, I've been made. Get the ship-" before Cal could finish, he felt a strong slam hit him on the back of the head, he hit the floor like a sack of bricks. "This one is mine boys, I'll pay my tab when I get paid." A voice said as Cal faded into unconsciousness.

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This chapter sucked. The next one will be better. Sorry again, idk why this was so hard to write. Its 5 am, I'm going to bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave your thoughts down in the comments, positive or negative. I always want feedback no matter what it is, I want everyones opinion that will give it.


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